A Bill to protect private gardens from development which is out of character with the surrounding area; to make provision about the circumstances in which a planning application may be rejected by a local authority and about rights of appeal in such circumstances; to prohibit repeated planning applications in certain circumstances; and for connected purposes
This Bill would require the Secretary of State to issue guidance to local authorities so that gardens of residential houses would be regarded as greenfield sites for development purposes; planning applications for significant developments would be refused if they were out of character with the surrounding areaprovide for a right of appeal for those affected or for an amenity society, if a local planning authority granted planning consent for development inconsistent with either the development plan or with guidance issued under the provisions of the Billextend the power of a local planning authority to decline to determine repeat applications from two years to three, after a similar application has been rejected on appeal to the Secretary of State.
House of Commons
28 October 2009
May contain errors — check source documents for definitive information.
The bill would make it harder to develop private gardens by treating them as greenfield sites for planning purposes and by refusing large schemes that don’t fit the surrounding area. It would give residents and amenity groups a right to appeal when a planning decision goes against the development plan or government guidance, and would extend the time local authorities have to reject repeat applications from two to three years.
The Bill is at the second reading in the House of Commons. It originated in the Commons and had its first reading on 3 February 2009; no further parliamentary stages are listed here.
Generated 21 February 2026
3 Feb 2009
This Bill was on the Order Paper for a Second Reading on several Fridays before being dropped by its sponsor, Mr Paul Burstow.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
